Know Your Sportfish

Get the Sport Fish of Florida Book!

Search for:

VIDEO

BE SURE TO ABIDE BY THE LAW

A great many kinds of fish are protected by conservation laws that may include licenses, daily bag limits, possession limits, minimum and maximum size limits, permitting and other legal requirements. Many different jurisdictions and agencies are involved in managing the fisheries—at least a half-dozen in Florida alone, to say nothing of other countries—and their regulations sometimes conflict.

In Florida, information is available from such sources as Florida Sportsman Magazine, county courthouses and many tackle shops. Visitors to Florida or the Islands usually are able to get the needed information from their travel agents, resorts, fishing camps or charter captains. Visit www.myfwc.com www.myfwc.com or www.floridasportsman.com for the most current fisheries regulations.

Tripletail

Deep, somewhat rounded shape gives it the appearance of an oversize panfish. Color varies but is usually brownish and mottled. Head is concave above the mouth. Name derives from similarity and near juxtaposition of the dorsal, caudal and anal fins, resembling three tails.

GAME QUALITIES: Despite its clumsy looks, the Tripletail is a good gamefish in all respects. It willingly strikes artificial lures and its fight is characterized by short, frantic runs and startling jumps. Big ones in deep water are also good at bulldogging. Like Cobia— with which they frequently share the shade of a navi- gation structure—Tripletail are adept at fouling lines.

TACKLE AND BAITS: Casting tackle—fly, plug or spin- ning—provides the best and most spectacular sport with Tripletails, but saltwater outfits with lines up to 30-pound test are not out of place for big fish in tight places. Streamer flies, plastic and bucktail jigs and mir- ror plugs are among the pet lures. Best natural baits are live shrimp and small live fish. Strip baits and dead shrimp are also taken.

FISHING SYSTEMS: Still Fishing; Drifting; Casting.

OTHER NAMES:

Drift Fish

Leaf Fish

RANGE: Both coastal and pelag- ic in Florida; mostly pelagic in the Bahamas and Caribbean.

HABITAT: The Tripletail is a true world traveler, drifting with ocean currents and often spot- ted by dolphin fishermen in weedlines or alongside floating debris. Many are found closer to shore in most coastal areas of Florida during warm months, and also in larger bays—usually hanging around markers or trap floats.

×

Tripletail

FS member Stetson Law found this tripletail under a piece of floating debris while daytime swordfishing.

Don's Tripletail

Crystal River Tripletail

Double Tripletail

Capt. Alan Sherman with Jeff and Dave, and of course, some very tasty tripletail.

Andrea's Miami Tripletail

Andrea caught this urban tripletail off the shores of Miami.

Flamingo Tripletail

Went to Flamingo on Friday and went to the gulf. Caught about 50 trout and kept 4 between 16-19”, 2 bluefish for smoking and 4 triple tails…kept 2, one was 11 lbs. Nice day on the water with my father and daughter.

Coastal Tripletail

FS Member Feeding Frenzy caught this tripletail off the southwest coast.